Musings on science, the Bible, and fantastic literature (and sometimes basketball and other stuff).
God speaks to us through the Bible and the findings of science, and we should listen to both types of revelation.
The title is from Psalm 84:11.
The Wikipedia is usually a pretty good reference. I mostly use the World English Bible (WEB), because is public domain. I am grateful.

Thursday, December 30, 2004

Shinn isn't quite up there with Le Guin, or Connie Willis, I guess, and I don't expect to see her win any Hugo or Nebula awards, but she does have plots that hold the attention, and the first Shinn book I read, Archangel, dealt with an almost-Christian religious theme. (Angelica is the fourth book set on the same world.) Other books in the series have dealt with issues of faith, and one deals with the issues raised by technological progress. All her books are rather old-fashioned romances, too.

Here's a quote:
Over all the gods--and over all the stars and planets that they could see, and even the ones they couldn't see--ruled one great, benevolent spirit that the Edori knew only as the nameless one. His was the hand that had created all the worlds, and all the gods who watched over them--and he, no doubt, was familiar with the god to whom this stranger prayed, and he approved. Sharon Shinn, Angelica, New York: Ace Books, 2004. p. 407.

Angelica is one of Shinn's Samaria series, and all of the books ask the question, "Is there a real god?" in some way. I won't give away details about the answer, other than to say that there is one, in these books.

My wife, who very seldom reads fantastic literature, read and enjoyed Shinn's Summers at Castle Auburn, as did I. We both also read and enjoyed her The Shape-Changer's Wife.

I recommend Sharon Shinn for those seeking a good read involving fantastic literature.

Friday, December 24, 2004

We don't seem to know what day, or even what year, Christ was born, but he was born.

Christ didn't come as a baby. He came as an embryo. Did He retain any of His divine omniscience and omnipotence during that period? I don't know, but I suspect that He didn't retain all of it. The Bible teaches that He was tempted like we are. I don't know if fetuses are tempted. However, to really be like us, He must have had an experience much like ours, and I suspect that that meant, after He was born, not being able to speak for a year or so, and, before He was born, giving up some of his powers and awareness. Was this easy for the Creator of the Universe? I wouldn't think so--the cross wasn't.